Dennis Ray Cropper, 84, of Fairfield, went to be with the Lord at 3:57p.m. on Saturday, June 12, 2026, at St. Louis University Hospital, St. Louis, Missouri, where he had been a patient for six weeks and one day. Open heart surgery with 3 by-passes had been performed and had healed but, other medical problems developed and prevented his recovery.

Dennis had worked at many jobs, which included selling Electrolux vacuum cleaners in Miami, FL. His most interesting sale was a complete set of Electrolux products to Elliott Roosevelt, son of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, just before Elliott was elected Mayor of Miami. He also drove a cab there but, retired from Champion Laboratories in Albion where he was a supervisor/set up.

The son of Elvis Roundle “Spud” and Wanda Lucille (Sanders) Cropper, Dennis Ray Cropper was born at 1021 Laurel Street, Fairfield, IL, at the home of his grandparents, Adali Ueing and Dora Mae (Miller) Sanders, on August 8, 1941, before Fairfield had a hospital.

Dennis attended three Wayne County grade schools now no longer in existence, Pure Gold, Lebanon, and Boyleston. He graduated from Boyleston School where he was presented the American Legion Award. He attended Fairfield Community High School but did not graduate, choosing instead to join to United States Coast Guard, on February 18, 1960. He served four years, being discharged February 11, 1964. He was on ship at Guantanamo Bay during the Cuban Missile Crisis.

He did obtain his GED later with a perfect score. The person conducting his testing said, “I’m going to change one answer to make it wrong because no one is going to believe you got them all right.”

During his military service, he was stationed in Cape May, New Jersey, Cuttyhunk, Massachusetts, and Miami, Florida, attaining the rank of QM3. During this time, he met and married Beverly Ann Malphus of Ridgeland, South Carolina. They had a beautiful daughter, Pamela Denise Cropper. Dennis later married Jean Ann Copeland in Dade County, Florida. They also had a beautiful daughter, Denise Renee Cropper. After that divorce, Dennis returned to Wayne County in 1969 where he met and married Ruth Alice (Harl) Kearnes in 1973. They divorced in 1975 and remarried in 1977 and lived together in Albion until her death in 2015. During their marriage, Dennis built, after work and on weekends, a six-room underground house.

Dennis met and married Doris Witter Bland, of Fairfield, on February 7, 2016. After their marriage, he moved to Fairfield, joined Grace Chapel, where he became a devoted, faithful member and song leader. He was also a member of the American Legion Post #176.

Two honors were received by Dennis in recent years. The first was when, at a dance in Wayne City, he was surprised by being called to the bandstand by the singer, Julie Ann Barnes, who was a member of the Isaac Hull Chapter DAR. The award from the DAR read in part, “…joins a grateful Nation to honor Dennis R. Cropper, United States Forces, in recognition of Valor, Service, Sacrifice…”

The second honor at the Quilts of Valor ceremony, November 2022, at the First Christian Church, when he was presented a handmade red, white, and blue quilt because of his service in the Coast Guard in the 1960’s.

He had been a dedicated volunteer at the Midwest Food Bank and a regular participant in the Senior Citizens Every Wednesday Pool Tournament. He loved to dance, play solitaire, and was a Cardinal Baseball fan.

Survivors include his wife, Doris Bland of Fairfield; daughters Pamela Denise (Cropper) Gouty of Bluffton, South Carolina and Denise Renee (Cropper) (Enrique) Morales of Leesburg, Florida; grandsons Hunter McKay (Mackenzie) Gouty of Dawsonville, Georgia and Dylan Cody Morales of Leesburg, Florida; step-children Frana (Donald) Legg of Fairfield, Alan (Carolyn) Bland of Fairfield, Robin Kearnes of Albion; his special cousin Betty (Mick) Hallam of Newton, Illinois, and a special step-great granddaughter Dezirae Bailey of Albion.

He was predeceased by his parents, his sister Sue Cropper and brothers Stephen and Geoffrey Cropper.

Since Dennis was an organ donor and requested cremation, Celebration of Life services will be delayed until his daughter Pamela Gouty can return to Illinois. The Johnson and Vaughn Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.